The day Absence arrived
by Lavender Harpy
Summary: The budding Xavier institute welcomes it's newest student. Her nickname is Absence. Her presence makes QuickSilver's heart race faster then he can.
1. Chapter 1

QuickSilver zipped around the airport unseen over two hundred times the new girls flight was arriving and he was early as usual. Though he still didn't get why the hell he was made to go with the Professor and Azazel's girlfriend not girlfriend Cinder aka Anise Kruznik. They did not get along. She found him mouthy like most people did and he didn't like her because at one point he called her a fire bug and she had somehow managed to melt the soles of his new sneakers to the ground, causing him to fall flat on his face when he'd tried to zip away, while she sauntered off with Azazel to do something for Magneto. Azazel himself was a trippy sight to behold with the devil red skin and tail. Anise mostly got away with her mutation, only having hotter skin then most and melted glass coloured eyes.  
Charles stood tapping his foot. Clearly irritated with Pietro's ADD like attention span. The final member of their welcome wagon was calmly shuffling his telltale deck of cards and eyeing the soon to be off duty flight attendants like the women were his next feast.  
Charles sent a mental summoning to Pietro telling he needed to get his bum back to the group discreetly. The silver haired boy didn't listen and instead pretty much appeared directly between Anise and Charles. There were a few snide comments made between Anise and Pietro, authority figure scolding from Charles and then they heard the announcement that the six am flight from Northern California had arrived and passengers would be departing the plane in ten minutes time. Gambit aka Remy Lebeau rose from his seat and took stance beside Anise, Professor Xavier mentally scanned the crowd of hippies and snobs and gypsies and businessmen. His eyes searching as well. He was subconsciously bothered by his inability to hear the girl's thoughts.  
Anise grinned and tapped the professor's shoulder. "I believe the violet haired young woman with the interesting eyes is who we are here for." Her voice caught the attention of a more then a few men walking past the group and a few women. Azazel and Magneto teased that she had picked up a bit of her sister Ginger's Verbal mutation. Ginger's code name was Lady Mercy and not only could she heal but her secondary mutation involved auditory hypnosis. Her voice enthralled people if she allowed it.  
The three men followed the line of sight along Anise's finger, though there'd be no way to miss the vibrant lavender hair, bobbing through the crowd once it was spotted, only mutants had hair like that. The other signal that she was different came from the way people avoided touching her or getting to close.  
Having rifled through the thoughts of the other passengers in his search for her he saw found that getting close to the girl had made many of the people lose their hearing and thus balance had become a difficulty. They knew she was a mutant but were all to terrified to call her on it. The world knew of mutants thanks to Bolivar Trask and his bullshit Sentinel let's destroy all mutants attempt. She didn't allow herself to notice but instead kept a big white smiled plastered over her face, her canines were slightly longer then most people thought it was no means due to being a mutant. QuickSilver hadn't moved a muscle other then to breath since laying his eyes on the fellow mutant, his cheeks a slight bit red as he thought how terribly adorable and attractive she was. The damn fangs sent his brain to the gutter. Charles elbowed him and muttered something along the lines of down boy.


	2. Chapter 2

The girl saw the four standing at the family waiting area her hand digging through her bag, she brought out a pen and notebook opening to first page. She walked and scribbled rapidly. Checking her words just as quickly she thrust the pad forward to Charles and Anise, waving sweetly. She didn't make any sort of sound and as Anise and Charles read the page and a half she'd written understanding came over their faces. "I'm so very pleased to meet you Miss Kings. I am Professor Charles Xavier Headmaster of the School you will be attending from now on. This is my friend and highly skilled vice principal Anise Kruznik, she teaches health and Chemistry, This is Remy, he teaches cooking and Krabi-Krabong, it's a type of Martial arts involving pole-arms and the likes. Excellent for staying in high shape and flexibility. This …gawking and for once in his life silent young man is Pietro Maximoff a fellow Student."  
Anise giggled behind her hand as Pietro stood still as a statue not really hearing a word that had been said. Elsi tilted her head to the side and smiled again this time for Pietro. The silver haired speed demon grinned and sighed, seeming for all the world to be love struck. This caused Anise to let loose and extremely unfeminine cackle her hand slamming over her mouth as, this time, her cheeks turned beet red. She and Ginger both tended to cackle if caught off guard by something or other that they found hilarious and both reacted the same, covering their mouths and blushing.  
They four turned back to Elsi who was quite clearly laughing whole heartedly in response to the cackle that had come from Anise. Though there was not one single sound that escaped her. Charles cleared his throat, turned on his heel and lead the group to the baggage claim having handed Elsi her notebook.  
The younger woman scribbled out three pages of words alarmingly quickly and made to hand it back to the Professor, Pietro took it upon himself to snatch it from her in a blur and speed read the pages. "She wants to know how far to school is will there be an aptitude test for her classes, what kind of other classes are there do we know here the library is in proximity to the school or does the school in fact have a library of it's own, do we have a swimming pool her mom said the school had one, she wants to know if she gets her own room, or is she going to share and she doesn't mind sharing cause she doesn't snore and she sleeps silently… she drew a smiley face and wrote haha by it." Pietro laughed a bit and so did the adults.  
"She only brought four bags and her shoulder bag with her, uh she likes the color green and also …silver… heh uuuhh and also can we take her to a burger place first. The flight attendants had been scared of her." He rushed out her words looking at her in sympathy internally cheering for himself because he hadn't openly blushed when he read that a favorite colour of hers was silver.  
"They never brought her the food she'd ordered. What the heck man that's not cool! Those people are paid to make sure passengers are comfy! Chuck cmon man can we get the girl some food that's a hell of a long flight!"  
QuickSilver only stopped babbling when Elsi tugged his jacket collar, he turned to her and watched as she tapped the notebook and held her finger to a long sentence. Pietro reread the line.


	3. Chapter 3

"I have my own money and they didn't bug me or anything I'm used to people being weirded out by my hair and my eyes. It's no biggie, BUT I am super hunger. Also my friends Called me Absence back home because I cancel out sound that's my mutation. And I can also fly a little bit." The taller boy had droned as he slowly in a quieter voice read aloud word for word what Elsi had wanted him to read.

Charles gave them both a glare that said no talk of powers in such a crowd. Gambit gave a low whistle, grinning after an attractive woman that sashayed past in bell bottoms and a halter top. Anise rolled her eyes before gazing intently at Charles. The two clearly shared a moment of private conversation, Charles reading her thoughts, nodding along or shaking his head as a response to whatever she thought to him.

QuickSilver fidgeted, sighed and vanished sixteen times. Elsi watched the spot beside her as he disappeared and reappeared again and again. Her pen flying over her notebook pages. She reached out at exactly the right moment to once more grab Pietro's jacket collar once more and hold her notebook out to him. Pietro had been slightly shocked. Normally no one could grab him let alone see him when he used his powers. But as he read her words in silence he saw that she explained how she caught him. This chick was smart. And talented The fluctuation of the air and sound waves around her made it possible for her to tell precisely where he'd be around her.  
He was flustered and impressed and slightly turned on. Attractive sweet and smart… plus she didn't seem to find him a irritation. Yet. Gambit had at some point snatched up Elsi's personal luggage, Elsi waved her hand for attention and signed Thank you to him. Anise grinned and explained the motion, her mother being deaf had cause both Ginger and herself to learn sign language early on. Gambit gave the teen a flirty smiled and sexy voiced reassurance that he'd do anything for a pretty lady such as her, which stopped Elsi's smiles cold. She scowled instead. Her reaction tripped Gambit up gave both Charles and Anise a good laugh and QuickSilver hope that the new girl might like him.

Elsi scribbled more words and underlined them. She snapped her notebook closed scowled in Gambit's direction again and walked a little faster to keep up with what QuickSilver considered a slugs pace for himself. The two were given a wide birth of space from passersby on the street. Considering the pair both had wildly abnormal hair it wasn't a shock. Anise and Charles exchanged glances and laughed.

Gambit harrumphed "you know dis Cajun think she just wrote Remy off… in the most literal sense. What you think mon amie's?! Maybe she don't like the Remy none."  
Anise scoffed, pulling her crimson coloured hair up into a black silk scarf. "It's not like she is the only smart woman in the world. Is it simply impossible for you to control yourself. We are higher on the evolutionary charts swamp rat act like it." Her tone was serious yet playful.

The two were friends but she never ceased to tease him about his womanizing and had even once "predicted" that his manhood would fall off… that or his piss would turn blue. That had been an interesting week of hilarity and abject panic on the cajun's part. She being a chemistry expert had her beloved Azazel spike anything and everything that Remy cooked or consumed with a harmless nontoxic clear, tasteless liquid that did point of fact turn his urine blue. The best part being that since only his meals/snacks had been touched he never suspected that it was a prank.

No one said a word until Hank found out and finally against Anise and Azazel's wills spilled the beans and told Remy the whole story. This had earned The good blue genius a punch in his gut from Anise. She was livid that her whole long running joke had been ruined. She and Ginger didn't speak for a week or two. Ginger aka Lady Mercy had a massive crush on Hank and he was utterly unaware.

Charles ignored all the bickering and banter, his full focus on Elsi Kings and the void of disturbing silence encasing not only her but her thoughts and feelings as well. Even her steps made not a peep on the ground. He wondered if perhaps her mute condition was a unfortunate side effect of her mutation. Perhaps he Hank and Elsi could figure out a way for her to be able to speak. Hell he thought Maybe even Ginger would be able to help. She was the cause for him to be able to walk and still have his powers even after the Cuban missile crisis' end results had left him paralyzed from his waist down. She and Anise had been rescued from a terrible cruel man that had kept them as sideshow freaks. It had been a mission carried out by Charles, Azazel, Magneto and Beast. That was why Ginger was infatuated with Hank and how Azazel and Anise had first met.


	4. The School

The car ride was fairly smooth and they took a pit stop at a diner for Elsi to eat. The three sometimes adults and Pietro joined in Anise ordering a turkey melt. Charles a loaded burger and fries, Gambit some kind of barbecue, and QuickSilver the personal pan bacon pizza. Elsi herself gave her note book to Pietro with her order written out neatly. She had requested a double patty cheeseburger with extra lettuce, bacon and if they had them bean sprouts.  
The group held fairly normal conversations, each aside from Gambit asking Elsi questions about California and her childhood and if she'd always been mute or was that only after her gift appeared. The five ignored the whispers and wary stares of the other patrons, who looked at both Pietro and Elsi in disdain, their obviously different but natural born hair a cause of worry. Even Anise and Gambit with their strange eyes received a few heated glares of their own. Charles was the most normal of the five, a fact that bothered him and comforted him. His outward normalcy made rescuing students far easier.  
Elsi moved her body as if she were sighing, her hands disappearing yet again inside her shoulder bag, though her notebook and pen still laid in front on her. First she twisted her hair tightly in a bun wrapped an elastic tie around the vivid locks of purple, reached back into her back and pulled out a snug fitting feminine winter hat tugging it into place making sure all of her hair was safely tucked from sight. She pulled out a Mans baseball hat with a Yankees symbol on it and handed that to Pietro smiling timidly. He took the hat, their fingers touching, lingering together a bit and Pietro followed suit situating the baseball cap on his own head and hiding his hair as well, a bit of help from Elsi to tuck the more unruly hair around his ears under the hat and they both grinned a few scoffs and negative comments flittered through the diner but it had in fact made most everyone return to eating with out paying further attention to the group.  
Charles, Anise and Gambit just looked at the teens. More at Elsi and her willingness to not only cover herself to appease the other patrons but her forethought that others that she would meet could have a need to cover their physical differences such as hair like hers. She ruffled in her back again and offered a few pairs of sunglasses to choose from.  
Charles sighed deeply. "Listen, love you haven't a need to hide from anyone. Remy and Anise don't hide their eyes unless we hit a sunny beach. I never make my students hide. It's always a choice. You don't have to be scared we are here to help in any way you need." His accent enunciated every word he spoke.  
Elsi inwardly swooned over his voice. Hey she was a teenager and a girl and accents were super sexy. She wasn't really ashamed of herself though, she was just trying to make the normal people more comfortable and less likely to start trouble.

The five mutants ate in relative peace, paid left a tip for their waiter, a non mutant who had treated them respectfully, both in thought and action. He thought that they were all in fact mutants but he knew he was no judge of man. He had even thought their eyes were amazing and had told them. He'd made a small joke about Charles being unfortunate to only have everyday blue eyes. The group left on a lighter note and loaded into the large car.

Pietro leaned close to Elsi reading everything she showed him, answering what he could and telling her some jokes a few times complimenting her small detailed doodles. Silently he wondered what she really sounded like laughing. He figured she had a pretty voice and an infectious laugh. The ride was ridiculously pleasant for Charles and Anise. Even Gambit was polite and none flirty.  
As they pulled into the multicar garage, a tall handsome man and gorgeous blue skinned very naked woman greeted them. Two more came crash landing from the tallest part of the roof, one screaming bloody murder and the other ablaze in flames, to the ground causing Elsi to run to their sides. Charles rolled his eyes at the obvious showing off for the new student. Banshee and Sunspot were the other two of three trouble making show offs the third being QuickSilver. Raven had ignored the whole thing and thrown her arms around the clearly exasperated Xavier hugging him tightly. Magneto too wore an expression of irritation.  
Elsi was still silently freaking out and smacking at sunspots' flames. He, unknowingly to her, let his flames got out and made a big show of thanking her. She had already turned to Banshee seeing him what looked like comatose, she dropped her ear to his slack mouth, listening for breath, she heard none.  
"Dear god boys that's enough you are terrifying her. She's not been around many others before stop taking the piss on her." Charles voice boomed.  
Sunspot laughed jumping to his feet but Banshee ignored and kept himself still, wondering how far the girl would go to try rousing him. He hoped for a little cpr but when all the sound around him stopped he had just felt the heat of her skin, smelled the light banana scent over her skin, he was knocked for a loop by a hard large hand smacking him open palmed, rapidly. His eyes flew open the gorgeous girls hat had fallen off in her struggle to put sunspot out. Her hair was long and really, really purple! The smacks were coming from Pietro, who looked annoyed as hell.


	5. Chapter 5

Banshee quickly knocked Pietro back with his voice, missing the new girl all together.  
They tried to tackle each other but Xavier AND Magneto's powers stopped them solid. Pietro cursed the metal in his clothes, while Banshee groaned. Elsi was still on the ground looking shocked and scared. The trio saw her fear, embarrassed to have actually been such asses. Sunspot came toward Elsi and offered his hand and name, Hank came outside with a more then a few other students and teachers. Azazel, Ginger, Hank and Logan joined them. Logan stomping out to give each of the three guys a thump upside their heads and detention. Azazel teleported to Anise his tail instantly curled around her waist and his lips finding purchase against her forehead. Ginger said nothing and Hank stumbled over a few wordy apologies to the other students and he attempted to direct them all back inside. Elsi's face was hot with utter embarrassment. She'd not considered that the dark skinned males clothes hadn't been burning in the flames and none of his skin had burned. After hearing the percussion of sound and seeing Pietro sent flying back she realized the sound she had heard…the screaming was from the red hair moptop. And his outfit bore bat like wing bits… He…he used the power of his voice to fly…they'd tricked her. She'd been a idiot and fell for it. She clamped her teeth to keep from crying. The whole school had seen her most likely. They would think she was dumb. Gullible. Of course there were people who could bend fire to their will and their voices and whatever else, this is a school for mutants ALL kinds of mutants. Her fists trembled and she stood, walking away toward the line of trees ignoring the adults calling her name. She needed a bit of time to breathe away from all the strangers. She'd told herself she could and would handle anything. But this had been just a bit to much for her.  
Pietro had even gotten himself in trouble trying to as it looked defend her from the stunt that his Friends? had pulled.  
She felt her powers closing off all the sounds around her the forest full of animals was rendered silent. She didn't hear or even feel that she was being followed, Charles had ran after her. Calling her name repeatedly, he made sure to let the others know that yes she was the new student and YES the three boys were in trouble. Though Pietro slightly less so. "Elsi darling wait up. I may be able to run but you've got a bit more of a head start!" He called out. He couldn't feel her but the small and slightly large animals of the forest were panicked and where they avoided… where the source of their fear stemmed he could follow to find the nineteen year old had managed to scale a tree. Her purple hair served as no sort of camouflage. Nor did her butter yellow bell bottomed pants.  
Her shoulders were shaking and he worried she was crying. Women crying tended to make him do silly things. Like try and protect them from the world. The thirty something telepath reached out with his power to tug very carefully on her foot. Just enough for her to look at him. Her sorrowful eyes met his, he wished for all the world to know her thoughts. "Listen, love, they really didn't mean to hurt you like that. I've half a mind to let you give em each a kick to their asses." He tried laughing but her gaze made his laugh falter. "Not the best first day is it baby?" He figuratively smacked himself. Pet names were not appropriate for a student. But he reverted to his non teacher ways at times. It seemed the best way to get this young woman out of the tree.  
Elsi shook her head her hands flying in what had to be sign language. He could only catch bits of it her hands worked so fast. "Baby…baby slow down, I only know a bit of SL and you are going near fast as Pietro running, slow down yeah? And if you would please get out of the tree I'm getting a terrible pain in my old man back.

She sat staring at him deciding whether or not her butt could stand the hard branch for much longer or if it'd do better to just hop back down with her second power. She did need to practice flying more anyway. She pushed her body away from the thick branch descending a tad bit faster then she'd desired, the heavy landing jarred her knees making her nearly land on her butt. She'd felt Xavier's power surround her, help to steady her. She couldn't resist grinning at him. He was very kind. Pietro was kind as well. She was still on edge a bit. Charles smiled and held out his hand for her. She took it and as they made their way back to the open grounds of the school he told her all about his thoughts on her Absence of voice and the idea's of possible ways to help her to speak.


	6. Chapter 6

He told her a bit about how he had met Raven when they were kids and the turmoil that had separated them and Magneto for a time, how they'd all worked to make amends to themselves each other and even the world. He talked for a long while and she eagerly listened. She'd found most everyone liked talking or at least felt the need to fill silence in some way and since she herself couldn't speak, she listened and remembered and enjoyed. It helped a hell of a lot in this case that the stories and story teller were both very interesting. And accent, accent, accent, it made her teenage heart flutter. Being that she listened so much she had become attracted to tones of voice and cadence and patterns of each different person she met. It amused her how some sounded almost exactly alike and others couldn't sound more different, no matter that they grew up together their whole lives as siblings neighbors or what have you she heard the differences. She could easily hear the German of Magneto's voice and the Russian of Azazel even though they'd not spoken to her nor very loudly. She'd even heard the Canadian and more wide versed accents held by the Teacher who'd hit The three boys. Anise her beautiful barely there Italian/Russian accent, and the obnoxious Cajun accented Remy. He'd been fine until he'd flirted with her. Everyone here was so much more then she'd dared to hope for on the plane ride here. She wasn't the most odd of a bunch any more. Her wonderful parents both Had hair black as pitch, her fathers so black it was nearly blue and her mother's had just the tiniest hints of blood red when the sun hit it a certain way, Her father's eyes were dark forest green, her mothers a warm welcoming hazel. Both tall and slender, though her mother had large heavy breast that had made many a woman envious and many a man jealous of her father. They were great people and hard workers and they'd loved Elsi from the moment she was discovered growing with in her mother. They didn't fear her or stop loving her when it was made clear she was a mutant. They didn't care that their newborn baby's thick hair was bright shiny purple. They still loved her unconditionally when they were told by the doctors that the reason she didn't speak wasn't because she was mentally challenged it was because her voice box was nonexistent. They'd worked hard to learn and teach her sign language. Should she make new friends that wanted to learn as well, her parents would teach them as well as their parents.

Yes there were people who thought she was a freak and feared her. That was life. She decided from an early age that she refused to let negative feelings drown her. Can't please everyone. That was no kind of way to live.

Charles showed her around the school joined now and again by Ginger, Anise, Magneto and others, as they wandered. Pietro zipped up to Elsi who just before he appeared stuck her tongue out. Charles was confused at first until he realized why she did it. QuickSilver stopped, but not in enough time to keep Elsi's outstretched pink tongue from making solid contact with his nose. Charles thought to himself that the little pose she'd made while preparing the surprise "attack" had been adorable. He chuckled relieved to see that she wasn't going to buckle to the new student curse. Pietro jerked back so forcefully he zipped back smacking into the wall behind him. The poor boys face was scarlet.

Parting ways after having spent a large amount of the afternoon together Charles, took to his study to set the schedule for Miss Kings' aptitude test and physical. While things were a little hectic, he took pride in his role as leader and educator. He took it seriously. Most of the time.

Elsi sat in her room listening to the sounds of the Mansion. The building didn't creak or shift or settle. The ground it stood upon was sturdy and solid. It gave her comfort. Squeaky houses forced her to use her powers and that meant she'd block all sounds. Including but not limited to her alarm clock. After listening for about an hour she heard Banshee looking for her, asking others if they'd seen her. One girl called Katie said she thought Elsi had been in her room. Instead of going out to great him she decided to take a shower and get rid of the stress from earlier and the plane ride funk. She was no where near tired, because her internal clock was still stubbornly set to California time.  
Once she was happily cleaned and cheerful she grabbed fresh clothes and socks. She felt someone in the hall way nearing her door. One pair of feet. Not Charles nor Pietro or the original two she'd met. The internal frequency she heard from each person was rapid and higher then most. Which meant it was the red head… grrr It was Banshee. He sounded nervous.  
Being fully dressed she opened her door before he could even get halfway to it. She gazed down the hall at him. His eyes widened and he smiled sheepishly. His posture said loud and clear he wanted to apologize for this mornings stunt. His smile showed sincerity as he waved a bit. Tucking her damp hair behind her ears she stepped out and closed her door behind her. Banshee quick stepped, eating the distance with his long lithe legs. "Oui, Elsi I'm really such an ass I'm sorry for being a show off. I meant to scare you only a little. I'm sorry. Can't promise I won't be a moron again but I am truly sorry for hurting your feelings."  
Elsi's jaw dropped, he calmed down once he apologized. His frequency still high smoothed out to a steady keen in the back of her mind. She'd gone and left her damn notebook and pen in her room and she really didn't think he knew ASL. Sighing she turned and scurried back in her room, as an after thought she reached out an pulled him inside with her clapping once quickly to turn her lights on. She grabbed the notebook and pen from atop her nightstand, quickly scribbling out that she forgave him but he better be prepared for a major ass kicking if he messed with her again. Jokes were great but that bull crap shaved a few years off her life. Plus she wasn't ready to give up her first kiss for freaking unneeded CPR. Reading everything she'd written Banshee swallowed a little loudly in the silent room. He'd never really been around a girl that openly admitted to having never been kissed. He'd never really met a girl who threatened his life in a joking way either. Most girls clammed up especially after he'd pulled a prank or tried showing off. He was in her room. The realization hit him suddenly, out of habit he'd closed the door behind him…she had never been kissed or kissed a guy… Uh it was hot in here right?


	7. Chapter 7

The shorter teen looked up at the red haired male. His frequency had risen again…he'd gotten nervous suddenly. Flipping to a clean page she scribbled out a few questions and told him if he felt sick he needed to get out she hated and despised getting sick. She knew the jet lag would make her immune system whacky so if he was sick he needed to go. She had zero qualms about shoving him out a window.  
Banshee laughed loudly nearly doubling over. This chick was a trip and a half, he liked her. The sudden rapid fire knock against Elsi's door made him squeak and her what he guessed was a gasp even though she made no sound. It was already public knowledge with in the school that Elsi had no voice and that there would be a new class providing American Sign Language lessons starting with in the week. As a way to ease Elsi into life here at the school. He knew he'd take the class in a heartbeat and bet Pietro would as well. Elsi had walked past him as he wandered off in his mind. The rustling of clothes and a sudden oomph had Sean turning towards the door. Elsi was hugging…being hugged by Pietro, who was grinning ear to ear down at her. She smiled widely as well. She sped walked back to Sean to grab her notebook from him, she jotted down a few words went back to Pietro's side showing him the book. Sean saw a hostile look directed to himself from Pietro, his grin returning when he looked to Elsi. "So the jerk apologized huh? Cool. I thought I was going to have to itch powder his panties." He smiled that goofy smile for Elsi again.  
Sean realized it was irritating him. Because it was a puppy love face. She smiled at QuickSilver the same way. But…she grinned like that for him too. "Yeah I told her I was sorry. Oh and Elsi I'm not sick, I was just really shocked knowing you never kissed anyone before. It caught me off guard that's all. Elsi swayed when he spoke Sean noticed, he'd noticed she did it when Pietro did as well, but he hadn't really seen her enough to know if it what happened to her anytime she listened to people talk or if there was a reason for it.  
Pietro had not missed out on his friends blatant attempt to give him shit. Nor that the two had been alone in Elsi's room with the damn door closed. Banshee was picking at him over the fact that he knew something important about Elsi first. Yeah well he could suck a lemon for all Pietro cared. He knew more about Elsi anyway. She'd told him a lot earlier during the car ride. Like the fact that she was a surfer in California, she and her friends were on a local team, her favorite fruit was red grapes, also she despised being treated like a idiot just because she couldn't speak.  
The sudden scritching of her pen against the pages caught both guys attention, they watched her, both smiling when she licked her lip and scribbled out a word she'd not wanted, she wrote a bit slower after the mistake, Pietro tapped his feet and fidgeted waiting for her to show him her thoughts. Sean had sat on her little three seater couch His legs a bit sore from having to do lunges as a part of his punishment. Pietro, was absently fidgeting harder as he waited, when he froze at Elsi's soft warm hand gripping his bare wrist.

He'd taken so long to come check on her, because he too had been doing lunges at normal speed, twice as long as SunSpot and Banshee because he took longer to tire. His hair was also damp from a super speed shower.

Apparently Banshee hadn't bothered to clean up. He still had on the gym shorts and sweat shirt.

Elsi smiled leading Pietro to her couch, she took the middle cushion. Once all three were seated the young woman tugged them closer to her, their shoulders touching hers. Being that close, even in the dimly lit room, both guys could see the rose color highlighting her cheeks. She pointed to her notebook again.

-I already forgave Banshee for this morning. It's not important anymore. Though sunspot better say sorry too! The reason I said I'd never been smooched was cause I told carrots here that he's lucky I didn't give him CPR for nothing. Because I would have waisted my first kiss over his dumb prank. Oh yeah! Thanks for smacking Sean around. I really didn't know he was faking not breathing. I freaked. I'm super sorry though that you got in trouble trying to help me. I appreciate you not being mad at meee.

When I find out my classes I'll let you two know oki? I wanna know if we get any together. Hey we should hang out during lunch period if we are able! OhOh did you know there's a emptiness under the school it sounds like a metal basement? I think there's some kind of machines down there as well! I can hear the faint vibrations of it. Like a humongous basement metal cave...-

Elsi's writing had gone on but they'd stopped reading looking up to stare at each other over her head. Neither sure what to say about the lower hidden levels of the school. Pietro cleared his throat giving Elsi a lop sided grin. "We experiment on any humans caught trespassing in the school grounds. Also any of those whacked out anti mutant fascists."  
"Yeah we uh cut them open to see what makes em tick and turn them into mutants... Anyone that doesn't turn we sell their guts to the highest paying hospital!" Banshee smiled menacingly.

Elsi shot to her feet scribbling furiously on a fresh page as she stormed from her room, easily dodging anyone that happened to be in her path. She was heading straight to the professor to freak out and demand to be sent home. She'd just made to wrench Charles door open when she suddenly felt her feet leave the ground. She had been yanked bridal style into familiar arms and spirited away. Once the world stopped blurring past she realized she was back in her room but still being carried. Pietro was holding her tight to his chest. He ...he'd grabbed her and whisked her off. She scrunched her face glaring up at him. For the first time in a long time she wanted to scream out loud.


	8. Chapter 8

"Woah, woah if looks could kill! Me And Sean were totally joking. I promise! We don't do that madness here. Promise! Its a basement but it's kinda off limits to regular students and the ones with clearance like me and Sean really aren't allowed to talk about it. I guess no one like you has ever been at the school... Well no one has said anything about it... "

The pair of males sighed, looking to each other. "Guess we gotta tell the prof. that she knows, else she may go lookin' for it." Banshee smirked when they watched Elsi place her fists on her hip nodding sternly.

Before Pietro could answer, heavy knocks, to the tune shave and a haircut, rattled Elsi's bedroom door, the silent mutant threw her hands in the air, Anger marring her features. Even the obvious stomping made no sound from her. She flung the door open to see the Katie girl, a female named Hannah, another guy name Ollie and Sunspot. Slapping her hand to her forehead Elsi angrily scribbled across her notebook and thrust the thing toward Sunspot. The darker skinned fiery mutant read it after backing away slightly, "I didn't announce any freaking party in my room and it's been a long day which you had a part in making stressful. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE A CARNIVAL SHOW AT THIS SCHOOL OF ALL PLACES!" Sunspot raised his voice as he read then pointed to the paper "she specifically said to yell this part…I guess this means you are still mad at me?"

Elsi turned hopped back from the door a bit and jabbed her finger toward Pietro and Sean motioning them to leave as well. Her cheeks were flushed dark pink. Her lips pursed and face scrunched. Pietro looked slightly hurt and Banshee acted like he didn't care, Sunspot acted like he had been gutted and the two girls were huffy. They all walked away grumbling taking Banshee, sunspot, and the third boy with them. Leaving Pietro who was dragging his feet, as the last to leave. He spun in a blink and looked down to Elsi, "I didn't know they were all gonna show up and I really seriously wanted to beat Banshee here, but I took a shower…figured you might like me not stinky. The mute girl shoved her head under Pietro's arm looking up and down the hall. When she saw no one she pulled Pietro back in, earning a shocked choked off gasp, she shut her door gently and rounded on him jotting down one line. -This would be a simpler conversation if you knew sign language…or… or I could talk.– Her shoulders drooped as she dropped her arms to her sides, her eyes cast down.

Pietro was shocked to say the least. The whole day, long day that it was she hadn't once acted put off by her inability to speak. He tugged her close, reaching behind her to lock the door, she looked to his face, her own showing confusion. "I share a room with Banshee and sunspot. They might come looking for me or try bugging you." He grinned endearingly. Darting over to pull her curtains closed. "Aaaannnddd some of the students can wall climb like a freaking spider, others can fly."

Elsi shook smiling, Pietro could tell it was her laughing. He watched her toss the notebook and pen to the bed. She jumped toward him clutching his hands in hers pulling him back to the door to her room, she threw the lock and yanked the door open. Looking back now and then to reassure Pietro that she had fun in mind. She looked around and listened getting her bearings, most of the mansion had quieted down. She quickly pulled him up the stairs , only stopping excitedly when they reached the roof. She clapped, making no sound but looking adorable, and Pietro absently wondered if she would be his girl.

She seemed to take deep breaths letting the high wind tussle her long violet hair. She pushed Pietro to sit on one of the stone benches that decorated the safety area of the roof. He looked up at her internally groaning at the sight of her bathed in moonlight. She was a freaking Angel. He smiled with her watching as she backed away towards the door leading back inside. Her hands held up motioning for him to stay in place.

He nodded and leaned back a bit. Then Elsi was running as hard as she could, as fast as she could…STRAIGHT TOWARD THE GUARD RAILINGS. "ELSI NO!" But Pietro literally couldn't stop her, tripping a bit in his haste.


End file.
